Your gut does so much more than simply digest food, it plays a vital role in your overall health and wellbeing. Everyone’s gut microbiome is home to trillions of microorganisms (microbes) that help support our bodily functions such as, digestion, nutrient absorption and immune function. Probiotics can help our bodies when these microbes are disrupted e.g. illness, stress or antibiotics.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live beneficially microorganisms (“good bacteria”) that can help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut. Probiotics work by adding to your existing supply of good bacteria to help fight off the bad bacteria in the body and boost your immunity against infections.
Probiotic Benefits:
The benefits from taking probiotics depend on the specific strain, dose or reason you’re taking them, as there isn’t a single probiotic that does everything. It is important to talk to one our trained team members in the Pharmacy for advice on which probiotic may be right for you!
Supporting gut and digestive health –
- Helps reduce the chance of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
- Eases symptoms of bloating, gas and abdominal pain
- Supports regular bowel movements
- Helps maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria
Supporting the immune system –
- Reduces frequency/duration of common colds
- Helps regulate immune responses
- Supports gut barrier (makes it harder for the harmful bacteria to enter the bloodstream)
What are Good Sources of Probiotics?
You can take probiotics as a supplement or get them through certain foods and drinks. Both approaches have benefits. In general, food and drink sources may help support a broader range of microbes in your biome, which is good for your overall health. Some foods also contain prebiotic dietary fibres that feed probiotics and help them thrive
Food & drink sources of probiotics –
- Live yoghurt
- Kefir
- Sourdough
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
- Miso
If you want to treat a particular issue, you might want to take a specific probiotic supplement that has been recommended for that purpose by a healthcare expert. A supplement will typically provide a higher dose of probiotics than food sources will. Take it as recommended on the label.
Don’t hesitate to call into us and ask one of our team members about taking probiotics today. They can help you pick the best one for you. Find your local Adrian Dunne pharmacy here: Store locator.